Diana A. Brooks, 45 of Watertown, died Thursday evening, March 7, 2013 at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. Born Sept. 1, 1967, Diana had chosen to be cremated and no visitation or services are planned at this time.Watertown's Hunter Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

A graveside service will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home and Memory Gardens in Nashville for Mr. Oats, 76, of Lebanon.He died March 10, 2013 at his home.Arrangements are in the care of Harpeth Hills Funeral Home and Memory Gardens.

General News

For the 10th consecutive year, Demos Restaurant will sponsor the Brooks Bucks fundraiser to benefit the mission of Habitat for Humanity in Wilson County.

The popular Brooks Bucks are named after the late Brooks Franklin, humanitarian and 30-year veteran writer for The Lebanon Democrat.Franklin was a nationally recognized newsman, winning numerous national and state awards for reporting and editorial writing.The issue of poverty and homelessness in Lebanon lead to the Brook Bucks fundraiser, which benefits one of Franklins most loved causes, Habitat for Humanity.

Each $5 donation to Habitat for Humanity of Wilson County buys one Brooks Buck and entitles the bearer to apply $7.50 toward one meal lunch or dinner at Demos Restaurant in Lebanon.

Brooks Bucks are available March 1-31 and are redeemable April 130.

The familiar green bucks are sold through:

All branches of Wilson Bank & Trust in Wilson County
All branches of Pinnacle Financial Partners in Wilson County
The Lebanon Democrat / Mt. Juliet News
Habitat for Humanity office at 606 E. Main Street, Lebanon
Habitat Board Members
Habitat ReStore

Officials noted that 100 percent of sales benefit the work of Habitat for Humanity in Wilson County.

To receive more information about Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville Wilson Division, call 453-4539 or visitwww.habitatnashville.org.

An Old Hickory man was arrested after crashing his car and then allegedly stealing a vehicle belonging to another person who had stopped to see if he was injured and needed assistance.

Mt. Juliet Police Department Sgt. Tyler Chandler said Stephen Fields, 20, of Old Hickory, crashed his car into a creek at about 2:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 13, in the area of Old Lebanon Dirt Road and Nighthawk Lane. A 43-year-old Mt. Juliet resident heard the crash and drove to the scene to see if anyone needed assistance.

Upon arriving, Fields reportedly acted as if he was looking for a passenger who was possible ejected from the car. The concerned citizen began looking around the crash scene for another injured person, and while the concerned citizen was away from his GMC SUV, Chandler said, Fields allegedly stole it and sped away.

Chandler noted that Cpl. Rountree was responding to the crash when he spotted Fields and the SUV passed him at an extremely high rate of speed. A pursuit began after Rountree turned around and attempted to stop Fields. However, due to the extremely fast speeds, officers lost sight of him temporarily.

Sgt. Cook then spotted the SUV and chased it until Fields bailed from the vehicle and ran from officers on foot. Fields was later spotted by another citizen who saw him reportedly running through his yard on Clearview Drive in Mt. Juliet. That citizen was able to hold him with a rifle until officers arrived and took him into custody.

Fields was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail and was charged with the following:

District 57 State Rep. Susan Lynn says in a newsletter the public may have an opportunity to vote on the fluoridation of community water if an upcoming proposed bill passes and after listing possible side effects from over-consuming fluoride hopes those citizens will vote with caution if such a project is presented.

The Wilson Post reported in a January 2010 article that the City of Lebanon stopped fluoridating its water supply with powdered sodium silica fluoride in 2007; however, in an article from May 2012 it was reported that dentist Dr. Chad Williams was igniting a campaign to once again add fluoride to the local water supply. City of Lebanon officials in 2012 determined not to change its water filtration and purification process, which remains without any added fluoride.

Williams had stated that while he has been aware of the benefits of fluoride in the public water supply, he was reminded of the importance of the process in an article published by the American Dental Association. He said that the ADA pointed out that over the past few decades, tooth decay has been reduced dramatically and that fluoride was the key reason.

Many people are misinformed about fluoride and fluoridation. Fluoride is like any other nutrient; it is safe and effective when used appropriately, he said, in the article.

During an interview on Tuesday, Williams said he stands by the information he offered last year in the article.

All the local dentists and pediatricians agree that there should be fluoridated drinking water in a community, he said, adding that it gets topically applied to both children and adult teeth.

Williams sparked the campaign after seeing the increase in decay among many patients who werent typically people who had decay and I attribute it to the lack of fluoride in the drinking water.

People who live outside of Lebanon had less decay. We have a third-world water system, he said, tongue-in-cheek. I cant really prove that. It is more of a joke, but our water system is second rate compared to other cities. Seventy-six percent of all Americans have fluoridated water. Cities like Phoenix, Ariz., and Portland, Ore., have added fluoride to their water and those are bigger cities with unlimited budgets to do research.

In addition, other professional groups, such as the American Dental Hygienists Association, said community water fluoridation is an effective, safe and inexpensive way to prevent tooth decay.

Lynn noted in her newsletter that anyone can understand that a one-dose-size-fills-all approach for any medication is irresponsible and it is simply never done except with fluoride.

Fluoride is hazardous, she warned. Yet we add it to water and then consume as much or as little as we like, never considering if we are receiving too much. Water utilities, not doctors, do this without any authority or directive from the federal or state governments. Although they receive training on how to add the fluoride to the water the utilities have no idea of the medical history of each individual drinking the water and no one is monitored for effects after consumption.

Lynn noted that the public is already exposed to fluoride in food and drinks consumed, in skin care products and in fluoridated water we bathe in every day. In short, there is simply no saying how much fluoride we are exposed to.

She provided statistics gathered from the 1984 edition of the Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, which said that fluoride is slightly less poisonous than arsenic, and it is more poisonous than lead.

Health issues including fluorosis, arthritis and osteosarcoma were also listed as possible side effects related to the consumption of too much fluoride.

The ADA and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in 2006 issued a warning that baby formula should not be made with fluoridated water but many mothers do not know this and even those that do can't easily avoid it without expense. People undergoing kidney dialysis should not drink fluoridated water but many do not know or cannot obtain non-fluoridated water, she added.

Lynn was unavailable for additional comment on Tuesday due to a committee meeting at the State Legislature - see the Friday, March 15, edition of The Wilson Post for an update.

A former Tennessee Titans football player has been named the new Mt. Juliet fire chief.

The announcement of Erron Kinney as the new chief was made Monday night by Public Safety Director Andy Garrett during the Mt. Juliet City Commission meeting.

It is expected that Kinney will assume his duties as Fire Chief within the coming weeks.

I know that Erron Kinneys exceptional qualifications and experience make him the best fit for our City, Garrett said. Chief Kinney brings with him well over 20 years of exemplary service in all aspects of fire department management, coupled with his deep roots within the Middle Tennessee community.

Kinney brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Interested in fire safety since childhood, firefighting and saving lives is in his heart. Currently, Kinney serves as Fire and Rescue Services Coordinator with the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency in Franklin. He previously served as a Captain for the St. Andrews Fire Department in Charleston, S.C., and as a firefighter in Brentwood.

In 2004, the Tennessee Governor appointed him to a seven-year term with the Tennessee State Firefighting Commission, which is an organization that tests and certifies firefighters in the state.

A former NFL player with the Tennessee Titans, Kinney is well-known throughout Tennessee and well-involved in the community. Prior to his NFL career, Kinney attended the University of Florida where he majored in elementary education.

Its is very humbling, an honor, and a privilege to be appointed as Mt. Juliets Fire Chief. I am excited about working in one of Middle Tennessees best cities. I am extremely excited about the opportunities that are ahead for the citys new fire department, Kinney said.

At the Mt. Juliet Fire Department, Kinney will be responsible for building the department from the ground up. Starting with one fire station that is currently under construction, Kinney will command Mt. Juliets new fire department that will be responsible for fire suppression and rescue. Staffing, training, equipment specification and procurement will also be significant issues in the beginning of his new appointment.

In addition, Mt. Juliet City Manager Kenny Martin felt it was best to select the fire departments second-in-command during this process, and in that regard, Garrett also announced that James Luffman was selected as Captain. Luffman is currently a firefighter with Wilson County Emergency Management Agency and is a resident of Mt. Juliet. Luffmans start date is pending final budget approvals.

A Lebanon man has been arrested on federal drug charges, and if convicted, could find him facing up to 45 years in prison.

Agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and investigators with the Lebanon Police Departments Narcotics Unit arrested Roberto Manier, 50, at 200 Green Street, Lebanon, on Friday, March 8, on a three-count indictment.

Lebanon Police Chief Scott Bowen said in a news release on Wednesday that in the spring of 2012, the LPD Narcotics Unit received information that Manier was allegedly selling narcotics near the Inman Court federal housing project.

Local authorities conducted an investigation into Maniers suspected criminal activities and presented their case to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Manier was charged with the sale of marijuana and two counts for the sale of cocaine. He was arraigned in front of U.S. Federal Magistrate Judge Juliet Griffin on Monday, March 11.

The marijuana charge, if convicted, carries a sentence of up to five years of imprisonment in a federal penitentiary, and the cocaine charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Manier has a detention hearing scheduled for March 19. He was on federal supervised release from a 2006 DEA and LPD drug conspiracy case, Bowen said in the release. He added that Manier is well known by Lebanon Police. He has six previous cocaine-related convictions since January 1990 in Wilson County.

A joint investigation by Metro Nashville Police Department narcotics detectives and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents into methamphetamine sales and manufacturing by a Mt. Juliet man led to Wednesdays execution of a Wilson County search warrant and the arrest of the suspect.

Carroll Johnson Cook, 49, of 11 Cooks Road in Mt. Juliet, was booked into the Wilson County Jail and charged with initiating the process to manufacture meth and meth possession. A Davidson County warrant charging Cook with selling meth will be sought on Thursday.

During a search of Cooks home on Wednesday, investigators reportedly found a small quantity of meth and smoking paraphernalia.Inside a barn on the property, detectives and agents also reportedly discovered 12 cooking pots, numerous empty packages of pseudoephedrine, muriatic acid, sodium hydroxide and other components associated with meth manufacture.

This investigation began with Cooks alleged meth sale in Davidson County to an operative working with Nashville police.The TBI joined the case when it became apparent that Cooks alleged meth involvement was based in Wilson County.

Other agencies taking part in todays search warrant execution included the Wilson County Sheriffs Office, the Wilson County Office of Emergency Management and the Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force.

Wilson Central's Lady Wildcats started the 2013 softball season with a pair of wins Tuesday-- 17-0 over White House and 1-0 over Siegel.

In the White House contest, every Wilson Central batter scored at least one run while the team racked up 11 hits and took advantage of seven walks.

Ashley Eldridge finished 2-for-2 with four runs scored and two RBI while Kendall Eden was 3-for4 with two runs and three RBI. Lauren Stavinoga was 2-for-2 and blasted a 2-run home run, finishing with four RBI.

Morgan Powell picked up the win, scattering three hits.

In the second game Wilson Central capitalized on a Siegel error to score the game's only run in the bottom of the second and Hannah Bodenhron did the rest -- shutting down Siegel on just one hit and striking out 10.

Brittany Wiseman reached base on a walk in the second and Rachel Tichenor bunted her over -- but Wiseman kept going to third and scored on a throwing error by the defense.

Central's only hits were a triple by Stavinoga, and singles by Rachel Tichenor and Karlie Odum.

Dont let the 8-23 record fool you. Watertowns first round opponent in the Class A BlueCross Basketball Championships -- Lake County -- comes in with the worst record in the eight-team tournament field.

But, as is the case with most teams advancing this far, the Falcons from Tiptonville come in quite a back story.

Watertown (30-3) takes on Lake County today at 5 p.m. in the opening round of the Class A state tournament at MTSU's Murphy Center.